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C. F. BAXTER. SHIPPERS FOLDING CRATE 0R COOP. No. 479,545. Patented July 26, 1892.

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G. F. BAXTER. SHIPPBRS FOLDING CRATE 0R COOP.

No. 479,545. Patented July 26,1892.

we "cams PEYERS co, momurno msummon, o. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. BAXTER, OF MURRIETTA CALIFORNIA,

SHIPPERS FOLDING CRATE OR COOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 479,545, dated July 26, 1892.

Application filed September 25, 1891. Serial No. 406,770. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. BAXTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Murrietta, in the county of San Diego and State of California, have invented a new and useful Shippers Folding Crate and Coop, of which the following is a specification.

My invention more especially relates to that class of folding crates and coops which are designed for use in shipping fowls, but it may be applied to other uses.

My improved crate or coop is preferably constructed of a series of frames of stiff steel wire provided, respectively, with webs of wirenetting to form the bottom, ends, sides, and top of the crate, the several frames being hinged together and arranged to fold into a compact package. This character of crate is specially desirable, for the reason that great strength, compactness, and 'free ventilation are thus secured and at the same time great facility for cleansing is provided.

One object of my invention is to soconstruct and arrange the several parts that when folded they can be easily secured together in their folded position with no danger of loss of any of the parts; also to provide against injury to the folded parts by jamming or bending.

and convenient cleansing of the crate.

Theaccompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure l is a perspective View of my improved folding crate ready for use. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the frame of such crate when set up ready for use. In thisview the netting is nearly all removed for clearness of view, fragments of it only being shown in place upon the frame to indicate the presence of the netting in the complete device. Fig. 3 shows a plan view of the frame when folded ready for shipment, the netting being omitted for clearness of view. Fig. 4 is a side view of the folded frame. Fig. 5 is an end view of the folded frame with the wirenetting of the bottom in place. Fig. 6 is a view of the bottom member intact, except at one corner, with fragments of the frames of the end, back, front, and partition members attached thereto. The paper mat which forms the floor is also shown in this view.

Another object is to provide for the ready- One feature of my invention consists of the combination of the bottom member A, provided at its ends with upwardly-extending hinge-brackets a at, extending, respectively, across the ends of the bottom member to form an attachment for the end members B B and provide a suitable receptacle for the rear, top, front, and partition members 0, D, d d, E, and F, when the crate is folded.

My invention also embraces a folding crate in which the top or lid consists of front and back members hinged together and in which the lidis hinged to the rear member and the rear, front, and end members are hinged to the bottom member, the front and rear members and the lid or top member being arranged to fold upon the bottom member and the two end members hinged to the upwardly-extending hinge-brackets and arranged to fold down upon the other members when folded upon the bottom member, and means for securing the parts together in their folded position and also in their erect or crate position.

It also comprises the combination, in a folding shipping-crate having its bottom ends, sides, and top made of frames covered with wire-netting G and hinged together by hinges I-l'to fold upon each other and adapted to form a crate when set up, of the open wire-netting bottom member A G, a removable paper mat I, adapted to form a closed floor for-such bottom, whereby the crate is adapted to be used in shipping fowl and can-at small expense be readily and thoroughly cleaned by removing and discarding the mat.

My invention also comprises the combination of the several hinged members specified and suitable staples J J and fastening-loops K K 70, arranged, as hereinafter specified, to receive fastening-rods L L, and pins M and N to secure the parts in position when set up erect in crate form, and also so arranged that when the several parts are folded together the staples J will pass through the meshes of the wire-netting G in such a manner as to allow the fastening-rods L L to be passed therethrough to secure the members of the crate in their folded position.

The several wall members-zl e., the end, front, and back members 13 B, E, and C-are provided at their respective ends with fasten ing-loops 70, so arranged that the loops of the ends that join to form a corner come into line with each other when the crate is set up and receive the fastening-pins N to secure the walls together at the corners. The fasteningstaples J J project forward from the front wall of the crate, and hasps O O are hinged to the members d d of the top and are arranged to receive the staples J J to secure the top and front together. The pin M may be passed through the staples to secure the hasp in place. It is bent or looped at the end to secure it against accidental displacement. One of the end loops m is too large to pass through the hasps and the pin may be secured by means of a padlock in the loop or eye 117/, thus securing the lid or top D d d in place. The padlock is not shown. The main back member D of the lid is full length of the crate and about half the width thereof and the front portion of the lid is hinged thereto in two parts 01 d. The partition F is hinged tothe bottom memberatthe mid-length thereof to fold down toward one end. The rear member of the lid is secured in place to close the crate by means of the rod L, which is passed through the fastening-loops K, which project up from the tops of the end and partition members through the meshes of the rear member D of the lid. The front members (1 d are braced by a similar rod L, passed through similar loops K, which project up from the front part of the top edges of the end and partition members.

In practice when it is desired to fold the crate for shipment the rods L L are removed from their loops K K, and the corner-pins N are removed from their loops 7c and the wall members are spread apart. Then the pins N are inserted in the loops 7c of the front and rear members C and E. The crate is then ready to be folded.

It will be observed by reference to the drawings that the hinges ll are arranged to allow the partition to fold toward the end member B. The partition is folded toward B and rests upon the bottom. Then the front member E is folded inward to rest upon the partition, with its staples J J projecting upward. Then the front lid members (Z and d are folded inward upon the back member D of the lid. Then the lid thus folded and the rear member O are folded forward to rest upon the front member E, the staples of which are passed through the meshes of the rear member 0. Then the end members B B are folded down upon the members thus folded and the rods L L are passed through the staples and over the end members, thus binding the whole in a compact package.

\Vhenth us folded, various parts of the crate intercept the pins inserted in the loops 7a and prevent them from falling out of the package. The locking-pin M may be inserted between the meshes of the folded crate and is retained by the loops or eyes at the ends thereof, or it may be secured by a wire or string or by a padlock. The fastening-rods L L are bent at one end to form the mesh-engaging hooks ll, which, when the rods are fully inserted in their loops, may be turned and inserted between the meshes to prevent the withdrawal of the rods.

P P are feed-troughs, and Q for access to the coops.

Now having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a folding crate, the combination set is a small door forth of the bottom member, the front and rear wall members hinged thereto, the ends and partition hinged to the bottom member and provided with the upwardly-projecting fasteningdoops, the lid comprising the back member hinged to the rear-wall member and the front lid member hinged to the back lid member, and the fastening-rod adapted to be inserted through the fastening-loops above the back and front members when the crate is in its erect position.

2. The combination set forth of the several hinged wire-netting members specified, the fastening-rods L L and pins M N, and suitable staples J J and fastening-loops K K 70, arranged, as specified, to receive the fastening-rods L L and pins M N to secure the parts in position when set up erect in crate form, and also so arranged, as specified, that when the several parts are folded together the staples J J will pass through the meshes of the wire-netting, as set forth, to allow the fastening-rods to be passed therethrough to secure the members of the crate in their closed position.

3. A crate comprising the combination of the wire-netting, bottom, front, rear, top, and end members arranged to fold upon each other, the lid-fastening hasps hinged to the top, and the staples projecting from the front member and arranged to receive the lid-fastening hasps when the crate is in its upright position and to project upward through other members of the crate when folded to receive the fastening-rods to secure the crate in its folded position, and such fastening-rods.

CHARLES F. BAXTER. Witnesses:

JAMES R. TOWNSEND,

J. K. COLERIOK,

IIO 

